Seeking the Sun
by Sebi
Summary: "Jared, can I ask you a question?" Wanda's insecurities are getting the better of her. Naturally she goes to Jared for answers, only he leaves her with more questions, and how does Ian fit into all of this? AU/all-human. If you love/hate it, Review it!
1. Seeking the Sun

I finally finished The Host and I can't believe I ever put this book down. I don't normally write for books but Wanda and Ian's love story was just too precious to pass up. Looking around I haven't found many AU fics for these two so here is my contribution. As a side note I have no idea is Arizona State University has a soccer team but for my purposes they do.

I apologize for any and all spelling and grammatical errors as I have no beta. I do go back from time to time to revise my work and hopefully catch some of my more obvious mistakes. Now on with the show!

**Seeking the Sun**

* * *

"Jared, can I ask you a question?"

I could feel the familiar burn of blood blossoming across my cheeks before making a slow decent down my neck as Jared looked up at me from underneath the hood of Melanie's beat up Ford. His hazel eyes softened and the sweet half-smile he reserved only for me pulled at his lips. I loved that smile, only that smile and those eyes didn't mean what I once hoped they meant. Jared adored me, loved me even, but it was not the kind of love he had for my adoptive sister Melanie.

Growing up, it was almost impossible not to have a crush on our next door neighbor, Jared Howe. Two years older than Mel and three years older than me he was everything I wanted and more. Tall, strong, beautiful in the extreme, kind to a fault, and a born leader that excelled at everything he put his mind to. I had always held a secret hope that one day he would see me as more than just the girl next door, but as fate would have it, it was Mel that he fell in love with. It hurt, still hurts sometimes, but anyone can see that they are perfect for each other. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses but together they balance one another.

"You can ask me anything, honey."

I may have been over him but I couldn't help the slight ache that accompanied his endearment. I took a deep breath to calm the fluttering of nerves in my stomach. This was embarrassing enough without my traitorous heart getting the best of me.

"Do you think…" My voice shook and my heart beat loudly in my chest but he was smiling at me, encouraging me to continue, which only made this that much harder to ask him. "Do you think that I'm attractive…pretty?" I quickly add before I lost my nerve entirely.

_Is attractive asking too much? Do I really what to know if he does think I'm attractive? _Or worse yet, _What if he doesn't think I'm pretty?_ All those questions and more bombard my thoughts while I waited for his answer, but seconds turn to minutes and he remained silent. Mortified, I dared a glance at his face before my eyes flicker away again, one of the many nerves habits that I have yet to conquer. What I wouldn't have given for an ounce of Mel's unyielding courage at that moment.

Jared's face was a mask of surprise, his mouth hung open and his thick brows had practically disappeared into his hairline. Under normal circumstances I would have giggled uncontrollably at the picture he made, but instead I was stunned to realize that I had rendered Jared speechless. I should have been proud of my small accomplishment but all I could do was look at my feet and wait for the ground to swallow me whole.

"Where is this coming from?" He sputtered after a few swallows, scratching at his shaggy curls in a gesture I recognized as discomfort. Suddenly I felt like the worlds biggest ass for putting him on the spot. The burn in my cheeks increased while the sting of fresh tears blurred my vision. Just as I was about to run next door and drown myself in the O'Shea's pool his strong, grease stained hands reached out and caught me around the middle.

_Why couldn't he have just let me die of embarrassment in peace? Is that really too much to ask?_

Knowing it was pointless to resist, I allowed him pull me back and set me on the tool chest as if I were a doll. A new wave of heat accompanied my tears at his manhandling but I didn't let him see me cry. Instead, I kept my head tucked and away from him. I had always been too emotional, blushing or tearing up at the smallest things. I could still hear Kyle O'Shea, one of our other neighbors, teasing me while I cried over a scraped knee during my one and only attempt at playing soccer when I was eleven years old. Even though Mel, assisted by Kyle's younger brother Ian, gave Kyle a bloodied nose for upsetting me his words still haunted me, a constant reminder of my 'delicate nature'.

"Oh Wanda, don't cry. Please don't cry." He pleaded; his work roughened hands wiping at my cheeks as if he were afraid I would break if he applied the slightest pressure. Unfortunately his kindness only made me feel worse.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you that. Don't worry; you don't have to answer me. I know I'm not as beautiful as Mel…" And it was true that Mel was more beautiful than I would ever be, with her shoulder length auburn hair and hazel green eyes. Her coloring so vivid and bright compared to my pale snowy complexion.

"No, that is not what I meant at all! Of course I think you're pretty, you are beautiful. I would have to be blind not to see that. I just don't know why you would ask me something like that." My head snapped up at his words. He thinks I'm beautiful? It was a magical revelation that satisfied the tiny part of my heart that still longed for his approval, but his conformation only left me with more questions.

"What is going on here?" Melanie demanded from the garage door surprising both Jared and I. _Oh no_, I could only imagine what we must have looked like to her. With tears running down my cheeks, Jared standing in front of me with one hand cradling my face while the other hugged me close, and an adorable lost puppy expression coloring his face. I opened my mouth to explain but she took one look at my tear-stained face and turned a murderous look on her beloved boyfriend.

"What did you do to her?" She all but screamed, marching over to us with her hands clutching her hips and eyes blazing. I froze in place but, thankfully Jared had the sense to jump back from me with his hands in the air in a show of surrender. I always knew he was a smart guy.

"I didn't mean to upset her. Wanda asked me a question and I…" Mel cut him off with a dismissive wave and bound me in a tight hug which only added to my guilt. The last thing I wanted was Mel angry with Jared when he hadn't done anything wrong. Not when I was the one using him to appease my own stupid insecurities.

"I don't want to hear it! Wanda, are you alright?" She cooed sweetly, her long fingers reached up to brush a stray strand of silver hair away from my face. Something in me snapped under the caring gesture. I felt trapped and without warning I pushed her back, ignoring the hurt look creasing her forehead. I knew she was just being her normal protective self but I was so tiered of being treated like a little girl.

Melanie adored me, Jared adored me, just as everyone I knew adored me. With my long silvery blond hair, porcelain skin, petite stature, and grey blue eyes I have always been told I resembled a living angel. Personally I didn't see it. All I have ever seen when I looked in the mirror was straight colorless hair that was good for nothing but blowing in the wind, a willowy figure too weak to excel at any sport beyond pacing, and don't even get me started on my height. At five foot nothing and almost eighteen, my wonderful younger brother, Jamie, was taller than me at thirteen years old. Sometimes life was not fair, but in spite of my misgivings about my appearance I had always been told I was special, beautiful in a way that made others want to protect me. Which actually translated to; they wanted to keep me locked away in an ivory tower far above the rest of the human population. To be admired but never touched.

A fact I had never minded until recently.

I had a family that loved me unconditionally, that had taken me in after my parents died and raised me as their own daughter. I had an older sister and younger brother that loved me, and whom I loved with all my soul in return. Then there was Jared and Ian, my protectors from all things big and small. But as much as I truly appreciated all the blessings in my life, the one thing I had yet to experience was being asked out by a boy.

"He didn't do anything. I asked a stupid question and then got upset with myself before he could answer. He was just trying to make me feel better. No harm done." I assured Mel with a bit more attitude than I intended, hoping my explanation didn't sound as petulant out loud as it did in my head.

"Alright, what did you ask him?" When I didn't answer she looked to Jared to elaborate.

Jared turned to me trying to catch my downcast eye but I kept my head averted, still too embarrassed to face him. "She asked me if I think she's pretty." He explained with a shrug.

Mel exploded like a bomb going off. "Of course you're pretty!" she answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Why would you even ask such a question?"

Because if wasn't obvious, not to me. By that time both Mel and Jared were looking at me, waiting for an answer, and it was an answer that I did not want to give.

"I was just wondering." I tried to play it off but nether one of them seemed to believe me.

"Why?" Mel repeated with more force. She was not going to let this go; she was like a dog in that respect. Nagging at a situation until she got her way, a trait I both admired and despised, especially when she employed it against me.

"Fine, Lily has been hinting for weeks that she thought Wes was going to ask me to prom, and then I found out today that he asked a junior to go instead. I was just wondering what I did wrong. Why doesn't anyone want to take me?" I hated the swell of self-doubt that accompanied the memories but I had honestly thought Wes liked me. He flirted with me for months, walking me to class and texting me funny messages over the weekends. He had even asked me if I had a date already, and when I assured him that I did not he seemed pleased. Hence my confusion when I found out he asked someone else and then proceeded to ignore me for the remainder of the day.

Whatever reaction I expected following my little confession, complete silence was not high on the list. I looked between Mel and Jared to catch the two of them trading guilty glances.

"What am I missing here?"

Both of them knew Wes, since he had been in my group of friends since elementary school. Did they know something that I didn't?

"Do you want to tell her?" Mel asked Jared with an arched brow, a dare almost.

One that Jared didn't take, apparently.

"No thank you. I have upset her enough for one day."

Mel threw a "Coward!" over her shoulder before turning back to me with a look that said I was not going to like what she had to say.

"I want you to know that they just did it because they wanted to protect you."

"What are you talking about? Who did what to protect me?" A sick feeling twisted in my stomach.

Melanie's 'coward' comment must have gotten to him because Jared answered my question. "A few years ago I over heard a few of Kyle's more obnoxious friends, talking about you in a less than flattering way." He ground his teeth together, a clear sign that he was still fuming over whatever Kyle's friends had said. "So I took care of it." He continued cryptically.

Mel must have seen the confusion sketched across my face and rushed to clarify Jared's ominous statement. "They scared them off and a few other guys while you've been in high school too. I'm sorry Wanda, but I promise you none of them were the kind of guys you wanted to get involved with."

I suddenly felt light-headed and stumbled backward until my back hit the wall with a resounding thump, Jared and Mel both reached out to steady me but I warded off their helpful hands. I meant what I said about not wanting them to coddle me; I just couldn't believe what I was hearing. All this time I had wondered if there was something wrong with me, if I was in some way deficient or to child like in my looks and manner to be attractive to the opposite sex. But now I find out that it wasn't me that was unattractive but that Jared had chased off every boy that he deemed unfit. And worse yet, Melanie knew about it the entire time.

A thousand emotions competed for dominance in my aching head, but in the end I settled on bewilderment. I secured my arms around myself before facing Jared. "So you scared off Wes? Why would you do that, Wes is your friend too? I can't believe he would do anything to hurt me intentionally" My voice was small and weary with emotion and Jared visibly winced at the sound.

"I had nothing to do with this one, I promise. Wes is a good kid and I have no problem with him asking you out." He was quick to defend.

"If you didn't do it, then who did?"

"My guess," Mel answered with a weary smile, "would be Ian."

Ian? Why would Ian be involved in all this, hadn't Jared said that he was the one scaring them off? Then my mind finally registered that Mel had said 'they' wanted to protect me, not 'he' but 'they'.

"Why would Ian chase off Wes though? You just said you approved, and Ian and Wes are friends. This doesn't make any sense."

I wanted to pull my hair out in frustration but Mel and Jared continued to trade weighted glances. A silent conversation took place before my eyes and I had no way of knowing what was being said. With a shared nod they seemed to come to some sort of silent agreement before turning to me with secretive smiles splitting their annoyingly smug faces.

"You are going to have to ask him that your self, honey."

* * *

Ian wasn't too hard to find, in fact he was exactly where I expected to find him. There wasn't much to do in our small Arizona town and on a beautiful day like today Ian could usually be found practicing in the local park.

The sport of choice within our sleepy little town had always been Soccer. Melanie was an amazing player, her tall athletic build and agile movements allowing her an advantage over her male teammates. In the summer we would spend every afternoon on the field, me on the side lines cheering with my parents while Mel, Jared, Ian and Kyle all dominated the field. Even Jamie had turned out to be a gifted player recently but it was Ian that showed a true love for the game. That was why it was no surprise to anyone when Ian won a full athletic scholarship to Arizona State for Soccer two years ago.

When Jared left for college three summers ago I expected the pain, wallowed in it happily, but it surprised me just how disheartening it was to watch Ian leave the year after. Ian had always been special to me. While Jared held the title of champion, defending me against Kyle and his bullying friends while we were growing up, it was Ian who stayed behind to wipe my tears and hold my hand until Mel could take over. I remembered waking up at the crack of dawn the morning before Ian left for ASU to bake a batch of his favorite muffins so that he would have a snack for the two-hour drive ahead of him. He had thanked me with a heart stopping smile full of dimples and teeth, when I blushed scarlet and stammered a 'your welcome' he bundled me in his arms and swung me around until I was laughing gleefully and dizzy from the spinning.

All of those things were classic Ian, which was why I was having such a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea that Ian would have done something like this to me. My emotions were in an uproar, oscillating between confusion, hurt, and anger, but the moment I spotted Ian's tall broad figure running drills across the field a spark of pure anger ignited in my chest. Fuming, I marched the hundred feet between us as fast as my short legs would carry me. I was no more than twenty feet away when he spotted me, the cobalt blue of his eyes met mine and I froze as if I had stepped in a pit of quicksand, any sudden movement and I would be dragged under. I had looked at Ian a million times before; I remembered the gawky preteen he once was before Soccer became his life. Within one summer he put on 40 pounds of muscle and seemed to grow a foot and a half, but looking at him now, I felt as though I was seeing him for the first time.

Ian had always been handsome in my eyes, with his unruly dark hair that was always in need of a trim, sparkling sapphire eyes that darkened to cobalt with excitement, and a smile that shinned brighter than the Arizona sun beating down on his sweat dampened hair, the ends of which curled around his face in a way that had my fingers itching to brush back from his golden forehead. Smiling that infections smile he abandoned his drills, and as I watched him close the short distance separating us I realized that I had somehow missed his transition from handsome to gorgeous.

"My Wanderer has found me!" His voice was rough with exertion and I could not suppress the slight tremble in my knees the use of my nickname evoked. When did his voice become so deep and why had I never noticed before now?

But as he reached out to brush my ever-burning cheek I backed up a step, instinctual knowing that if he touched me I would forget my anger and I didn't want to forget it. I wanted answers!

Seeing my withdrawal he frowned and my resolve wavered. I didn't like to see him frowning, I liked his smile and the way it made my insides feel warm and gooey.

"What's wrong?" He asked and my dwindling resolve strengthened once more.

Not answering him directly; I posed a question of my own, instead. "Why did you tell Wes not to ask me to Prom?" My hands framed my hips, and I was well aware of how ridiculous I must have looked to him. Standing before him, dressed in a white linen sun dress, with the top of my head barely reaching his ample shoulders. I had to crane my neck to glare at him, but I held the pose. I was taking a gamble here, trusting Mel and Jared that Ian really was the reason Wes didn't ask me to prom.

Ian looked confused for a second before understanding and then…was that anger I saw clouding his eyes? How dare he be angry, I was the one that's had her feeling toyed with by whatever game he was playing!

"I don't know what you're talking about." He denied and turned his back on me; my eyes followed his wide hands as he ran them through dark hair in a gesture of agitation.

Anger surged within me and before I could stop my self I grabbed his arm, trying to turn him around but I had no leverage. He might as well have been a mountain for all the good I was doing. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. Mel and Jared told me how you and he used to scare off every guy that was interested in me." I accused maintaining my hold on his arm, hyper-aware of every flex of corded muscle under my fingertips. "Was it a game to you two? Chasing them off, making me feel like a social pariah, too low for any decent guy to notice?" Silent sobs over took my body and fat tears streamed down my face, choking me as years of pent-up insecurities come poring out of my mouth. My anger fizzled away with each tear and I was no longer tugging at his arm, but clinging to him for support.

Between one heartbeat and the next Ian turned and gathered me against his chest. My feet barely touched to ground, he held me so close and in return my arms snaked around his torso holding on for dear life while I continued to sob my frustrations. He whispered my name over and over, mumbling apologies and other words I couldn't make out over my own tears.

A memory flickered behind my eyes and I recalled the first time Ian held me in the shell of his arms. Melanie, Jared, Ian and I had gone hiking, one of the few outdoor activities I enjoy. One misstep and my foot caught on a loose rock. Crying out I felt my ankle twist and a tearing pain shoot up my leg, the memory alone was enough to make me cringe to this day. Within minutes my ankle had swollen to double its normal size. Mel held my hand while Jared and Ian argued over which one of them would carry me the mile and a half back to the car. At the time I hopped it would be Jared but without waiting Ian swept me up as if I were a small child before Jared could reach my side to do the same. My disappointment was short-lived; Ian had me laughing at his poor jokes within seconds and I forgot the throbbing pain in my ankle. Not once during our walk had he complain about my weight or taken Jared up on his offer to switch. When we made it to the car I was perfectly happy to stay in his arms during the long ride to the hospital. After hours of test and radiographs it was determined that I fractured my tibia, and I was casted for six weeks. For the rest of the summer Ian insisted of carrying me around when we were out together. I remembered pouting at his refusal to let me walk the short distance between our two houses one hot summer afternoon, when I questioned him he claimed that carrying me was good exercise. Not that I believed him but who was I to complain?

"I never meant to hurt you sweetheart, I just wanted to keep you safe. You deserve so much better than those assholes." His words broke through my revere and my face tipped up to meet his eyes like a flower seeking the sun. Face to face I was suddenly aware of just how close we were. I could feel each breath cooling my tear-stained face and my eyes strayed to his lips unconsciously.

"And Wes?" I whispered and his eyes darkened to midnight. "Was Wes going to hurt me?"

I had no idea how I managed to get the words past the swelling in my throat, but I did and I couldn't take them back however much I may have wanted to.

"Don't ask questions you're not ready to hear the answers to."

Those words forced me back a step, my fingers unlocked, and I slid down his body and out of his arms. He let me go if not reluctantly. Dark unreadable eyes locked with mine. He seemed to be searching for something but what, I didn't know. _What had he meant by that?_ I wonder. Dozens of possibilities came to mind, each more horrible than the last. My heat thumped painfully against my ribs and my breaths come in choked pants between each agonizing beat. Hateful tears gathered in my eyes once more but I pressed my lids together to prevent their escape. I wanted to run back home but his gaze captivated me, holding me in place. I was mesmerized by the tense line of his impossibly broad shoulders and the way his hands clench in a white knuckled grip at his sides.

He was in pain. The ache in my chest tightened and I knew I wanted to ease that pain. The realization made me bold. I reached out a trembling hand to touch him but he moved faster. Everything blurred and then I was in his arms, being lifted until my feet dangled several inches from the ground. Arms circled his neck of their own violation, and lips crash down on mine with enough force to steal the breath from my starving lungs.

My body felt numb, unresponsive under his assault. As though from a distance I watched his bare arms encircled my tinny waist and crush me from thigh to chest against his larger frame. Then, all at once the world returned in a rush of feeling. Fire exploded from every nerve ending, molten lava licked at my skin where our bodies touched. Without conscious thought my fingers buried themselves in the soft hairs at the base of his neck, touching, and clutching the strands. In retaliation he nibbled and suckled at my bottom lip until it felt swollen and sore, the sensation eliciting a moan of pleasure. One hand left my waist and tangled in my hair, cradling my neck, positioning my head to deepen the kiss. With a gasp my lips parted, allowing his tongue to slide against my own in a tantalizing dance of pure ecstasy.

I had imagined my first kiss, dreamed of what it would feel like but his touch surpasses any expectations I could have had. In that moment I had never felt so alive, flying high above the clouds but I felt anchored, protected and cherished all at once.

When oxygen became a necessary evil we broke apart but not far. Foreheads touching we looked at one another, both too shocked by our actions to speak.

_Is this what he meant; is this what he was afraid to tell me_?

Slowly the world came back into focus. Mortification accompanied the realization that we were in a public park and that anyone could walk by and see us wrapped around one another, Ian devouring me like a man starved. Ian sensed the change in me and seemed to notice exactly what we were doing and where. With a groan his arms loosened and I slowly slid down his body for the second time in ten minuets. Only this time I was acutely aware of the effect our kisses had on him, a hard-line of flesh pressed insistently against my quivering belly. _Oh my_…I thought with a shudder.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, completely misinterpreting my shudder for one of disgust.

"No don't apologize, its fine…really." I stammered out, and it really was fine, better than fine in fact. It was empowering to know I was capable of eliciting such a response from a man, from Ian no less.

He was back to searching my face and for the first time I felt no need to hide from him; instead I let him see how his touch affected me. The small frown that turned down the corners of his generous mouth as he study's me flipped into a wide grin that sent my calming heart galloping into motion once more. Unexpectedly he collapsed to the ground and with a squeak of surprise I was pulled down with him. He arranged my smaller body until he had me situated on his lap with my legs stretched out over his bent knee and my torso turned to admire his very naked, hard, and defined chest. _Oh my sweet lord..._

"Do you have any idea how long I have wanted to do that?" He whispered, nuzzling my nose with his and I giggled at his absurd statement.

"No. I had no idea you felt…like this for me." I couldn't meet his gaze, my shyness returning with a vengeance.

Ian squeezed my waist and leaned in until his forehead rested against mine once more, drawing my eyes back to him. His touch brought forth a sigh of pleasure and I leaned in to enjoy the way his fingers carded through my hair, smoothing the strands away from my neck.

"I didn't want you to." He confided.

Unable to resist I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his once more, an innocent gesture compared to the fevered kisses of moments ago but it spoke volumes to my comfort level. This all felt like a distant dream and I needed the touch of his lips to tether me to earth. I had spent so much time mourning Jared and hoping for Wes that I never once stopped to notice that nether one of them had ever made me feel the way Ian did. I had always felt more alive, stronger, and surer of my self with Ian than with Jared or anyone else for that matter. It seemed impossible that I had never seen it before then but as Ian said, he hadn't wanted me to guess his feelings.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I wondered aloud.

"I didn't know in the beginning." He ducked his head, almost bashful. "I thought I was protecting you. Then I realized that I was actually protecting myself. I didn't want anyone else to have you because I wanted you for my self. Do you remember when you broke your ankle?" I nodded with my heart in my throat. "It killed me to see you in pain and I knew you wanted Jared, but it burned me up inside to think of him touching you let alone carrying you. So I whisked you away before he could. You fit in my arms perfectly, just like I always knew you would. I used every excuse I could think of to hold you again after that. When you got your cast off I honestly think I went through Wanda withdraws." He teased with a mischievous smirk which I rewarded with a beaming smile of my own.

"I would have made my move then but I was about to head off to ASU and it wouldn't have been fair to ether of us to start something that I wouldn't be around to finish. When I came back for spring break last week and you were still single I planned on asking you out. Then Wes called. I knew how much he liked you and that he wanted to ask you to prom and I just...flipped. You have to know that I never wanted to hurt you, but I'm a selfish creature at heart." He kissed my hand sweetly by way of an apology, my skin tingled where his lips made contact and I knew I would forgive him anything if only he asked.

"What did you say to him?" My curiosity peeked and demanded satisfaction.

"I may have threatened to hurt him just a bit." At my appalled look he clarified, "but I wouldn't have gone through with it, I promise." I believed him. Ian was strong and more than capable of defending himself but I had never met anyone with a more caring nature. I knew he wouldn't have hurt Wes if he had refused to back off. That didn't mean I wasn't a bit hurt that Wes had given in to Ian's threats, although I knew first hand how convincing Ian could be when he wanted something.

A feeling of content settled over me and I snuggled deeper in Ian's warm embrace. The arm supporting my back hugged me closer and I breathed him in, letting the sweet musk of his skin settle my lingering nerves. This was right; this was what I had longed for all along.

"So, since you haven't run away screaming yet, can I assume that if I were to ask you to prom you would say yes?"

"That depends...are you asking me to prom?" I let a coy smile settle into place and peered up at him through long platinum lashes. My plan has the desired effect, Ian's sapphire orbs darkened to cobalt and his pink tongue peaked out to wet his lips before curving in mock seriousness.

"Will you Wanda Stryder," he began with a flourish, taking my hand and holding it against his heart. "allow me the honor of escorting you to prom?"

"Yes!" I chirped happily and then he was kissing me with enough passion to curl my toes and send my heart soaring into the stratosphere.

The sun beat down on our backs and the birds sang above us but nether one of us noticed, we had years of missed chances to make up for.

**The End!**

**I have an idea for a follow-up if anyone is interested. Please read and review! Come on, you know you want to. *wink***


	2. Finding the Sun

Wow! I am amazed by how many people responded to this story. I was just going for short and cute but thank you to everyone who took the time to review. Warning: this is nothing but fluffy goodness, done only for my own obsessive mind and love for the couple.

If you like it let me know! Read and review!

Please excuse all spelling and grammatical errors as I have no beta.

**Finding the Sun**

* * *

"Would you hold still before I burn you!" Melanie complained from her place above me, waving the smoking curling iron in my face for emphasis.

"I'm trying…" Her reflection glared back at me as if to say 'try harder' but she was still smiling in spite of her threat. It was a pitiful truth of my existence but I couldn't stand for Mel to be angry with me.

I managed a whole minuet and a half before the fidgeting started anew. I was trying to hold still, really I was, but excitement had my tiny body practically vibrating with pent-up energy. In exactly forty-five minuets Ian, _my _Ian, would be arriving to escort me to my senior prom! If by some cruel twist of fate I were to die today I would die a happy woman.

"Alright just a few more curls to go, another half a can of hair spray and you'll be ready for the runway." Mel had worked on my hair for the past hour with a single-minded determination that was more than a little impressive. In spite of my assurances that I was perfectly happy to ware my long blond hair in its preferred style; straight as a board that is, Mel insisted that I should do something special for my 'big night'. That something special turned out to be hour's worth of Melanie combing, teasing, and curling my hair into submission. If the multiple sore spots dotting my scalp were any indication of the final results I was going to look like a spotted leopard.

A cloud of hair spray enveloped my head and my eyes watered painfully. I choked back a cough inhaling a lung full of the noxious fumes that would hold my bouncing curls in place through wind, rain, or a class five tornado.

"Done!" Mel proclaimed from somewhere to my left. I had never been so glad to hear anything in my life!

For as long as I could remember I had always been envious of Mel's copper mane that seems to curl around her face in flowing waves, like living flames dancing against her lightly tanned skin. Mel and I are polar opposites in appearance and personality, fire and ice. I had always wished I could burn as brightly but looking up at Mel's handy work I was stunned by the girl staring back at me in the floor standing mirror leaning against Mel's wall.

"Is that really me?" The words were mine but the lips that formed them were painted a frosted petal pink, creating the illusion of being freshly kissed. My cheeks were brushed with a bright rose that highlighted my ivory skin to perfection. The eyes that I had always thought a dull grey compared to the rich hazel of Melanie's gaze, had been rimmed in a soft charcoal grey and accented in a gold shimmer shadow. The combination brought out subtle hints of pale blue and silver that I had never noticed before. The entire effect was complete by a halo of platinum curls trembling in supple waves around my heart-shaped face.

I barely recognized this new me.

"That's you baby sister. You look amazing if I do say so my self." Mel's beaming smile was contagious. An excited giggle bubbled up and I had the urge to twirl around just to see my gold knee-length dress flair around me. I felt like a princess and it was all thanks to Mel.

"Thank you so much!" I gushed and pulled her into a tight hug. For a moment we bounced in place still wrapped around each other until a paralyzing thought seizes me around the middle.

Mel must have sensed the change in me; she pulled back and stared down at me, worry clearly reflected in her face. "What's wrong honey?"

I could feel my throat swell but I forced the words out around the constriction. "What if…what if Ian doesn't like it?" Speaking my fears aloud, only gave them more weight to crush me under. I had never stopped to consider what Ian might like to see me in. _What if he doesn't like gold, or maybe he would prefer my hair up and not down? _

Logically I knew that I was being unreasonable but this was the first time I had dressed up for Ian since we started seeing each other three weeks before. Our relationship was still so new and I was secretly terrified that of mess it up somehow. Then Ian would realize that he could do better than a five foot nothing high school girl who blushed with the slightest touch. Not to mention the stuttering mess of hormones his kisses reduced me to every time.

My fears begun to claw at my insides, and then Mel was shaking my shoulders almost violently, shouting my name to gain my attention. "Wanda! Look at me!" I blinked back tears; if I ruined my makeup Mel would kill me. With effort I looked up to meet her eyes, as she was still several inches taller than me even in the three-inch death traps that were strapped to my feet. How was I meant to walk in these, let alone dance is completely beyond me.

"Now that I have your attention," she said with a smirk. "Ian is going to flip when he see's you. You look amazing, thank you very much." An overly dramatic toss of copper hair had me smiling despite my raging insecurities. "And if you don't believe me, your wonderful sister, then I am just going to have to get you a male opinion."

_Oh no…_I groaned inwardly. _Please, oh please, soft plush carpeting below me my feet, if you have any sympathy in your tightly woven threads, please open up and swallow me whole!_

"Jared! We need you!" She sang loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear.

White hot heat gathered in my cheeks as I listened to the thud of feet skipping up the steps two at a time. Seconds later Jared's mop of sandy curls peaked around the door, his hazel eyes averted in case I was still indecent. _Always the gentlemen_…I thought with a shake of my head.

"You rang?" In that moment I wanted nothing more than to crawl under Mel's bed and hide. One thing was for certain; before this night was over I was going to kill Melanie!

"Our little Wanderer here needs a male's opinion."

Jared's eye flickered to me and then to Mel before snapping back as if his neck were a coiled rubber band. Eyes, that only weeks ago would have unleashed a swarm of butterflies in my stomach, gawked at me as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. I had heard the express 'his jaw hit the floor' before but I had never actually seen it until then. Jared stood as still as a statue, his jaw hanging open at an almost unnatural angle while his eyes sweep the length of my body growing wider with each pass.

I suppressed a reflexive giggle while he continued to admire me; each pass over my figure sent a new wave of heat flooding my already scorched cheeks. At this rate I was going to look sunburned by the time Ian showed up. Jared, the same Jared that I had a crush on since we were kids seemed almost…mesmerized by me? How was that even possible?

I glanced over at Mel for help, wondering if she was upset by Jared's reaction but apparently I had no cause for concern. Mel didn't seem prone to jealousy; at least not when it was her handy work being admired. Obnoxious creature that she was, Mel watched the scene unfold with a mega watt smile splitting her face, her hands clutched to her chest and bouncing on her heals in glee.

"I think he's swallowed his tongue Wanda." She joked with an exaggerated wink.

At that moment Jamie came crashing up the stairs and knocked Jared back to his senses with a not-so-gentle shove. "Mom and Dad want to know how it's going." Jamie pushed his way around Jared until he caught sight of me and grinned excitedly.

"Wow sis! You look amazing, just like an angel." Jamie came bounding over and slung his arm around my waist in a tight hug. Bless Jamie and his sweetness, he always knew just what to do and say to ease my mind.

"See I told you." Mel pipped up. _She always has to be right…_

"I second that kid. You look…amazing, Wanda. Ian is one lucky son of a bitch." My nose wrinkled at Jared's choice of phrase but I appreciated the sentiment.

"Thank you, guys." I squeaked through the lump logged in my throat. All this attention was more than a little overwhelming.

"Ok that's enough gawking you two. Tell Mom and Dad to let us know when Prince Charming comes to collect Cinderella. Now scram so we can finish." With a playful shove Mel ushered Jamie and Jared out the door, but not before Jared flashed me a wink and air kiss for luck.

"Come on kid, let's go practice dialing 911." I could hear Jared comment down the hall. "Why would we do that?" I repressed a snort at Jamie's tone that clearly said he thought Jared is crazy.

"Because I think our dear friend Ian is going to need some medical attention when he sees your sister." It was my turn for my jaw to hit the ground at his words while Melanie erupted into a fit of laughter, rolling around on her bed clutching her stomach as if in pain. She _would_ think that was funny! I stuck my tongue out at her when she finally pulled herself together. Huffing, I turned back to check my reflection once more.

I was used to looking into the mirror and seeing the face and body of a little girl staring back at me. But with my hair styled to perfection, skin aglow with residual heat and encased in miles of shimmering gold fabric that showcases my petite figure in all the right ways, I no longer saw a little girl but a beautiful, mature woman staring back at me.

"Do you really think Ian is going to like it?" The words slipped out before I could check them but Mel just smiled over my shoulder.

"Jared is right honey; Ian is going to have a heart attack when he sees you. Besides he loves you. It wouldn't matter if you wore cutoffs, a tank top, and a bag over your head, he would still think you are the most beautiful woman in the world."

"Loves me?" My brain stalled on the word.

Mel shot me a bewildered glance before she lead my unresisting body to perch on her bed, she pulled the chair I occupied during my make over to face me. Her cool hands surrounded my trembling fingers in a lose hold. Contact had always been the fastest way to calm me, a trick our mother had discovered when I was six years old and grieving the loss of my birth parents.

"Hasn't Ian told you he loves you yet?" She asked gently.

"No, he tells me how much he adores me everyday but we have only been together for a few weeks, Mel. How can he possibly be in love with me?" I couldn't bear to meet her eyes, instead I studied the contrast between her sun kissed hands and my ivory complexion.

"Stupid boys…" She muttered under her breath before one of those hands reached up to tilt my chin until our eyes meet. "Honey, I guarantee you that Ian is going to be knocked off his feet tonight and no matter what you're thinking, I know that he's been in love with you for years. I'm sure he is just waiting for the right time to tell you."

I opened my mouth to contradict her but the chime of the doorbell silenced me. Melanie and I jumped to our feet at the same moment, almost knocking each other over in the process.

My heart contracted painfully in my chest when Ian's clear voice filtered up to caress my ears. _Ian's here_, my mind and heart screamed in unison and suddenly I felt light headed.

"Wanda, honey! Ian is here…" Mom called from the bottom of the stairs.

It took Melanie practically dragging me down the hall to get my body moving again. Mel preceded me down and it was only with the knowledge that Ian waited for me that I was able to descend the stairs under my own steam.

My entrance was greeted by a collective gasp as I cleared the landing; I could see Mom and Dad hugging in the corner of my eye. Mom held a tissue in her hand dabbing at her eyes and Dad was smiling proudly. Jared leaned against the couch with his arms slung loosely around Melanie's waist, both of them wearing matching Cheshire grins, and Jamie was manning the camera. Normally I would have shied away such attention but at the moment I couldn't see anything but Ian's heartbreakingly beautiful face gazing up at me with a look of complete adoration shinning in his stunning sapphire eyes.

_So handsome,_ was all I could think. I hadn't seen him in almost a week and was only just realizing how much I had missed him. Dragging my hungry eyes up his tall frame, I drank in the way the dark lines of his suit hugged his long legs and broad shoulders like a woman parched from the hot Arizona sun. In stead of a white shirt and tie as Jared had worn to Melanie's prom, Ian chose a royal blue dress shirt with the top three buttons left undone. The tanned columns of his throat and a hint of sculpted chest were left exposed. I bit my lip to resist the temptation to run the flat of my tongue down the exposed skin to taste the hollows of his throat, a tempting impulse and one that I wanted very much to give into. Feeling dazed again I swayed toward him, my feet tripping over the last step on my way down.

Large hands shot out, fingers clutched my hips and pulled me flush against the body I admired from a distance. My hands reached for his lapels to steady myself and dragged him closer without a thought. Our eyes meet for the first time and my lungs felt oxygen starved. His pupils expanded and swallowed up the sapphire blue I loved so much while they blazed trail up my body in a slow pass before returning to my face. The look he sent me was almost feral, hungry, and it left me shivering with familiar longing. Everything else disappeared as thousands of invisible strings attached and dragged my face up to meet him. Strong fingers flexed against my sides lifting me, inching our lips closer…

"Uh hem!" It was Dads not so subtle coughing and Mel's snort of laughter that finally penetrated our lust induced fog. My traitorous cheeks blushed crimson and I buried my head in Ian's chest to hide my embarrassment. I couldn't believe I almost made out with him right in front of my parents, Mel, Jared, and…Jamie. Shameful tears welled in my eyes.

"My apologies Mr. Stryder, I…" Ian trailed off when a particularly pitiful sob escaped my lips.

Stupid hormones! Why couldn't I just get sullen and withdrawn when I was upset like Mel or Jamie? Why did I have to be a crier?

"Wanda? What's wrong?" Ian tried to peer down at my face but I embraced him tighter. My head remained tucked away to hide my puffy eyes and running nose, but I mumbled Jamie's name loud enough for him to hear. I couldn't stand to see him worrying about me when I could ease his mind, even if it was partly his fault for looking so edible.

"Ah." He rumbled from above me in understanding.

Ian exchanged a few words with my parents and I was sure a few pointed looks as well, and then I was being led/carried into the formal living room away from my families prying eyes.

"Come on baby, look at me please." Despite my embarrassment, the feel of his voice vibrating through his powerful chest sent another torrent of delightful shivers shooting down my spin, accompanied by goose flesh prickling my arms. Soft pleas and the feel of his hands tracing down the bare patch of skin exposed by the deep V of my dress was enough to pull me away from my pity party; that and the prospect of seeing his gorgeous face again.

For the millionth time I wondered just how I never notice Ian before I saw him running toward me on the soccer field three weeks ago. He was everything I loved about Jared and so much more, his kindness earned him the title of my hero long ago but I had always thought of him as so far beyond me that it never occurred to me that he may have feelings beyond that of a brother for me.

Soft fingers wiped softly at my tears before tracing, first my cheeks and then my bottom lip, his fathomless eyes following the movements, lingering on my lips before snapping back into focus. I wanted to whimper at the contact but before I could reach for his lips, Ian sobered and shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. "Why are you crying baby?"

"I just *_hiccup_* can't believe we almost…" I couldn't even think about kissing him without turning into a tomato let alone talk about it.

"Devoured each other?" He supplied with a devilish leer.

The glare I sent him was pure Melanie. "Yes…I can't believe we almost…did _that_ in front of Jamie, not to mention my parents, Mel and Jared." I all but hissed.

At that point he started massaging my hips through the thin material separating us in soothing circles, a habit I noticed he employed when I was anxious. His ministrations were having the desired effect; slowly I felt myself relaxing and my annoyance subside.

"Personally, I have no problem making out with you in front of Howe." Ian muttered into my ear and then I remembered why I was mad at him in the first place. My small hands attempted to push him away, but were little use against his more substantial bulk, so instead I returned to glaring at him through my artificially thickened lashes. If there is one thing I have learned since we started seeing each other, it is that Ian hated to see me pout.

I couldn't deny that it stung to know that Ian still felt jealousy toward Jared, but I knew I couldn't really blame him. Years of mooning over Jared and overlooking the incredible man standing before me had taken its toll on Ian's confidence. He confided in me one night after a lovely evening of stolen kisses and light touches that it drove him insane to watch me pine away for his best friend all those years while he sat on the side lines.

Remembering the look of sadness clouding his eyes that night was enough to soften my glare. "I'm sorry my Wanderer." He breathed my nickname softly; all traces of humor gone, only an honest desire to make amends remained.

"I'm sorry for taking a jab at Howe and I'm sorry I nearly lost my senses when I saw you coming down those stairs. I wanted to tell you how breath-taking you look but I couldn't find my tongue and then I saw the way you were looking at me…god Wanda." He groaned and I felt my body tremble as his words wash over me like liquid honey. Ian had never spoken to me like that and it was doing wicked things to my insides. "I've fantasized about that exact moment for so long, seeing the same desire in your eyes, desire for me; not Howe, that I feel for you…I couldn't _not_ touch you."

Somewhere along the way my back hit the wall, my arms wound around his neck in a death grip. One arm coiled across my back while the other strayed over my bottom, grasped my thigh, and encouraged me to wrap it around his lean hips. _Oh…my…dear…lord_. My heart hammered against my chest so hard I was sure he could feel it, and when he finally yanked me off the ground and our lips meet in a clash of teeth and tongues. I felt his heart beating every bit as hard against my breast.

Time slowed as our passion built to a steady burn but all too soon we parted. Long before I had my fill Ian ripped his lips away and the loss felt like a blow to the chest. I wanted more, and I wanted it now but he used the hand tangled in my hair to restrain me when I tried to follow his retreating lips. I pouted between pants but he remained strong, hooded eyes watched, forehead touched, and hands smooth over any skin we could find. The skin at the base of his throat felt like warm velvet under my fingers, and I smiled with feminine satisfaction as his pulse jumped under the touch.

"You are incredible, but if I don't get you back in there for pictures your father and Howe are going to drag me out back, find your Uncle Jeb and riddle me with bullet holes for molesting their sweet girl."

_Shit!_ I cursed uncharacteristically in my head.

* * *

True to his word, Ian helped me straiten my dress and fix my hair in the hall mirror before we returned to my parents. Jamie was thankfully missing; Mel having sent him to retrieve my bag from her room which allowed me enough time to reign in my guilty blush. As predicted, Dad glared daggers at Ian but didn't comment on my kiss swollen lips or the light smear of Pink Ice lip gloss staining Ian's neck. Mom only smiled her all-knowing smile and proceeds to direct Jamie in what photographs to take.

Mel and Jared were the worst. Mel could barely contain her laughter and Jared kept shooting murderous looks in Ian's direction, which he ignored with his usual grace. I was never going to hear the end of this! After another twenty minuets of awkwardness we managed our escape.

The smell of sweet night air invigorated my senses effectively washing away my anxiety from the last few hours. Unexpectedly Ian swept me off my feet and carried me to his waiting car, not two steps off the porch. Sliding me into the passenger seat, Ian placed a single butterfly kiss against my lips earning him a bashful smile and a suppressed squeak of excitement.

The night turned out to be every bit as magical as I always envisioned it would be. This year prom was located in a local hotel rather than the old cramped gym of our school. Walking into the room I gazed around the ballroom taking in the millions of glittering lights illuminating the ceiling. Silver streamers swayed all around, dripping from tables and chairs like melting icicles, all surrounding the polished ebony dance floor already crowded with well dressed bodies. The completed effect was a bit cheesy but I loved it. The only thing that mattered tonight was Ian, and to my delight he kept me close, never letting me stray far from his side throughout the evening. It was wrong but I couldn't deny the rush of satisfaction I enjoyed as the girls admired Ian with jealously reflecting in their eyes. _That's right ladies, he's all mine!_

We danced, sang, and laughed with my friends until I could barely feel my feet and even then, Ian gathered me close, supporting my weight to ease my discomfort.

After a while Ian would get tiered of sharing me and pull me into his arms, meshing our bodies from thigh to chest and we would sway to the music, trading sweet kisses. The heat from before had cooled but not extinguished completely and as the night progressed our touches grew bolder and the fire sparked to life once more.

Halfway though the evening Wes approached me while Ian fetched us waters. His handsome face twisted in a frown. I hadn't seen much of him recently but I assumed that Lily would have told him about Ian. Apparently I was wrong.

"You're here with Ian?" He questioned without a greeting. Something close to anger reflected in his tone but there was a trace of hurt lurking deeper that pulled at my heart. Ian had told him to stay away from me but he had never given him a reason that I knew of. It hadn't occurred to me that Wes might feel betrayed by my appearance on Ian's arm and I felt ill that our actions may have caused him pain.

"I am sorry Wes, he asked me a few weeks ago and we have been together since." I wanted to whisper the last part but I owed him the truth. Although I couldn't honestly regret the outcome, I did regret hurting him.

His caramel skin darkened as he glared in the direction Ian had gone. "Did he tell you that he threatened me if I asked you to prom?" His voice dripped with surprising animosity.

Swallowing back the uneasy feeling in my gut I opened my mouth to reply, when a well muscled arm slipped around my waist and pulled me back until I was tucked in the hollow of Ian's side. One hand slipped a cool glass in my hand and I was grateful for something to steady my shaking fingers. I wasn't afraid of Wes, I could never be afraid of him but I was relieved when Ian answered in my stead.

"Yes, I did tell her and you have every right to be angry with me man, but if you direct any of that anger at her I will make good on my threat. Do you understand me?" His voice was mild but there was a sharp edge to it that left me feeling cold.

Wes looked between the two of us for a few seconds before he seemed to deflate, his posture slumped and he offered me a contrite smile. "I'm sorry for snapping at you Wanda; I just wasn't expecting you to show up with O'Shea here." He apologized but I could hear the tightening on Ian's last name. I offered him a demure smile of my own, hoping the small act would ease some of the tension sizzling between the two men.

"You could have told me that you wanted her for yourself man, you didn't have to threaten." And just like that they were smiling again. Laughing, Ian pulled me close kissing my crown and mumbled something in reply but I was too confused to follow their conversation. Moments ago they were poised to fight and like a light switch being thrown they were joking as if nothing had happened. Boys were just too confusing…

I was pulled back to the present to find both Ian and Wes looking at me expectantly. "What? Did I miss something?" Weariness slipping into my voice.

Ian chuckled into my hair, his hot breath soothing my irritation and warming me from the inside out. "Wes asked if you would like to dance." He repeated and I blushed prettily at their matching grins. I felt as though I had stepped into an alternate reality that I wanted desperately to escape it.

One look at Ian confirmed that he was alright with it and although, I would have said yes either way, it made me feel better to know I wouldn't be offending him.

Wes and I danced around the floor, chatting like nothing had ever happened and I was glad for it. Tension was so tiring and I missed Wes's easy nature. It was one of the many reasons I liked him so much, but for all the fun I had with him, I couldn't help steeling glances at Ian every so often. He stood with my friends, laughing happily and no doubt entertaining them with some bad joke or another, but I loved seeing him like that. Happily laughing and in his element.

As soon as the song ended Ian returned to me and Wes excused himself to rejoin his date. "I missed you." He whispered in my ear and I giggled merely while we rejoined our friends.

Later in the evening Brandt Adams, a football player that Lily knew approached me for a dance and as Ian had excused himself, I accepted. Brandt was handsome enough with dark chestnut hair and freckles dusting his nose and cheeks, but he was nothing compared to Ian. He tried to make conversation but the exchange was awkward at best.

Once the music ended he tried to elicit another dance but Ian cut in and allowed me to snuggle in the circle of he arms once more, before I had time to formulate a refusal that wouldn't hurt his feelings.

"Sorry but this dance in mine."

For a second longer than I was comfortable with, Brandt and Ian faced off. There was some sort of silent competition playing out in front of me but it was Brandt that back down first and with a lingering glance in my direction he disappeared into the crowd.

"What was that about?" I asked a few minuets late.

"He likes you, but he can't have you." He whispered possessively. "You my sweet," lips bushed my forehead, "dearest," each eyelid, "beautiful," my nose, which earned him a chortle, "angelic Wanderer." and finally he claimed my lips in a passionate kiss that left me longing for more.

In a daze we danced for what felt like hours without pause. I winced in pain as my hells pinched my toes painfully during one song. Without a word Ian lifted me and carried me to our table, sat me down and very carefully as not to aggravate my aching feet removed to offending heels before carrying me back out to the dance floor; his antics gaining us the attention of most of my class mates. We began to dance once he settled me so I was standing on his polished dress shoes, balanced against his body. My friends and even Wes looked on with sweet smiles, and I ducked my head in gleeful embarrassment. We danced like that for the rest of the night, content to be lost in our own little world.

We were cocooned in comfortable silence during the drive home, both of us content to trade small smiles and relive the glory of the past few hours.

I shivered as Ian helped me out of his car, a cute frown settling on his full lips when he noticed the goose-flesh puckering my skin in a chill. Every bit a true gentleman, he striped his suit jacket off and draped the delicious smelling fabric around my shoulders. The site of my shivering frame swimming in his clothes must have been a turn on for Ian. Sapphire eyes darken in a now familiar show of desire and my body responded without a single touch. Liquid fire pooled low in my abdomen and my heart rate jumped into a thunderous gallop against my ribs.

The fire that simmered just below the surface all night sprung to life between us like a living, breathing thing. I never knew it was possible to want someone as much as I wanted Ian before that day in the park. I never knew I could miss someone as much as I did Ian either. In such a short time I had come to crave him like the sunshine after a weeks worth of bitter rain.

Our lips drew together slowly, meeting and tasting the sweetness of our passion. The slow caress of our mouths a complete contradiction to the raging inferno blazing below the surface but it was intoxicating to savor him in this way. My hands snaked around his slip waist and my fingers roamed the taut muscles of his back, while his hands traced a similar trail across my back. A gasp escaped between our lips while one large hand strayed from the hollow of my lower back to brush across the curve of my bottom. I knew I should be offended and swat his hand away but my body had other ideas and surged forward to attack his mouth with more force. Who was this wanton woman he brought out in me?

Ian grinned into my mouth and clutched my straining hips against his body until I felt his flesh pressing intimately against the softness of my stomach. "That is what you do to me." He growled and nipped at my exposed throat for emphasis.

_Oh my dear sweet lord...was it possible to die of lust?_ I wondered.

I was drowning in sensation, practically hyperventilating and I never wanted him to stop but with another growl he ranched away from me. I felt bereft and lamented my displeasure with a whine but he remained strong. His hands soothing my hips in slow hypnotic circles.

"I love you Ian."

Like living garnet he stilled against me and it took me a full minuet to realize what I said. Oh no...what had I done?

Something akin to terror bled the residual heat from my body and replaced it with an arctic freeze that chilled my heart to the core. Icy tears forced their way past my closed lids and I bit back the cry that quivered on my tongue. I was afraid that I would find a way to mess this up and with three words I had accomplished just that.

I was too distraught to notice Ian soften against me until his hands reached out to my trembling form and dragged me as close as he could without melding our bodies into one. "Wanda, baby…" He pleaded softly in my ear. "Please look at me."

Knowing what was about to happen I resisted him; I had no wish to face his rejection before I had to, but he insisted. He pulled my hands from my face and kissed each finger, then my knuckles and finally down to my wrist. The intimacy of his lips brushing the sensitive skin lining the inside of my wrist shocked me into meeting his eyes and I was surprised to see his appeared glassy.

"Why are you crying, baby?" Hot breath fanned the tingling skin and I was powerless but to answer him. The pull of his eyes like gravity.

"I shouldn't have said that, I'm so sorry Ian." My tongue felt heavy in my mouth, it physically hurt to say those words to him.

"Don't be sorry unless you didn't mean it."

My head snapped up the, searching his eyes for any sign of deceit but found nothing but hope shinning in those cobalt spheres. "I meant it…" I choked out, this was almost too much to grasp. Melanie had said he loved me earlier but I hadn't actually believed her at the time.

One of his heart stopping smiles broke like the morning sun over the horizon, "I love you to Wanda. More than you will ever know." he breathed as if it were a prayer.

I was too stunned to do anything but gawk at him, but Ian wasn't deterred by my silence and claimed my lips in a sweet lingering kiss that set my fears to rest.

We stayed like that until my heart slowed and our breathing synchronized.

"You thought I was going to reject you." It wasn't a question but a statement, he knew me well and I was momentarily ashamed that I doubted him even though my mind was still trying to process what he said.

_Ian loves me…_it just seemed to fantastical to believe.

"Yeah…I'm sorry. Mel said that you loved me but we have only been together for a few weeks and you have been at collage for most of that." I rambled feeling a blush color my cheeks and I ducked my head out of habit. With a quiet laugh he tipped my chin to catch my averted eyes.

"Mel told you that I love you? Remind me to thank her later." He joked with a nuzzle to my burning cheek. "I wanted to tell you before I left for ASU, but I didn't want to push my luck after you so obligingly agreed to be mine and didn't sick Mel on me after I molested you in the park. Thanks for that by the way."

That surprised me. "You wanted to tell me then?" I squeaked.

"Oh Wanda, I have been half in love with you for as long as I can remember," And that was enough to send my heart flying again.

After a moment of thought I came to a startling conclusion. "You know I think I've loved you all along."

He looked doubtful but kissed my lips gently to say he appreciated the thought. "You do? And why is that?" He asked between kisses.

I pulled away from his lips long enough to catch his eyes so that he understood my feelings. "Because you are the only one that has ever made me feel this way."

"And what way is that?"

"Cherished..." And it was true, in Ian's arms I felt loved but never smothered. He protected me but still listened to what I wanted and encouraged me to assert myself even if that meant going against him. No one else in my life had ever done that for me.

He watched me with pure love reflecting in his sapphire pools and I knew I was cherished and always would be in Ian's arms.

**The End.**

**Wow! Over 6000 words, there is just something about this couple that inspires me to write more than I have for any other fandom! I am pretty happy with this one and I hope I kept everyone in character. Please read and review! I'll give you a brownie! ;)  
**


	3. Authors Notes

Hello all! I would like to start by saying that I am sorry for writing this note. I have never been a big fan of authors that post Authors Notes in place of chapters but I need some guidance. Please don't hate me for that.

I do intend to add one more chapter to 'Seeking the Sun', but my muse is fading and I never really intended for this to be more than a two shot at most. Not that I expect anyone to care about my personal life but I am starting a new job in three weeks and I need to devote my focus to preparing myself for this new position. That being said I really do want to finish this for everyone who has taken the time to review and request a follow-up, but I am running low on ideas.

If anyone has any thoughts about what they would like to see happen, I would love to hear them. I want to take this to its natural conclusion with a happily ever after but I really don't know how I want to get there, beyond moving Wanda on to college that is. Do you want to know more about her past in my world, see more angst with another character interfering with their relationship, or just plain fluffiness? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thank you for anything and everything. It is only because so many of you have shown support and a desire to see more that I am asking for help. I really don't want to disappoint anyone.

Sebi


	4. Catching the Sun

Thank you to everyone who has continued to review this fic! I am truly amazed by all of you and it is because of those reviews that I was able to finish this. Really I cant' name you all but I truly appreciate each and every signed and guest review!

A special thanks to all of you who offered suggestions and although at eighteen Wanda is a little too old for a teen pregnancy in my opinion I hope everyone approves of my take. ;)

As always I have no beta there for all spelling and grammatical errors are my own. Please Review!

**Catching the Sun**

* * *

"Where do you want these boxes?"

The room was littered with dozens of boxes in various states of being unpacked. It was amazing how much stuff I accumulated over the years, and even more amazing how hard it had been to decide what should come with me to college and what to leave behind.

Glancing around the room I saw no good place that wasn't already occupied. "Anywhere is fine."

From the corner of my eye I caught Ian ginning down at me as he placed the box in the corner, but as much as I adored staring at him my mind was elsewhere. In my lap sat several photo albums Mom had put together for me. We both shared a love for scrapbooking and keepsakes, a trait that Melanie did not understand. Where as I had always found the methodical actions relaxing she found them tedious and borderline narcolepsy inducing. We agreed to disagree on that front long ago.

Distractedly I flipped through the pages until my fingers came to an abrupt stop. Smiling faces stared back at me from the glossy photo paper; a sandy-haired man stood with his arms around a small woman with hair like spun moonlight and sea green eyes. They were both ginning broadly and in the women's arms was an infant swathed in glittering pink fabric. My birth parents and me…

Invisible hands gripped my throat and my vision blurred without my consent. Twelve years had passed since the car accident that left me orphaned and although I didn't think about it much anymore, the pain that rose with the memories was still acute.

"What'cha got there?"

The deep baritone cut through the rising tide of emotion threatening to drag me under. Strong arms circled my waist and pulled me back until I rested comfortably in Ian's lap, grounding me against the oncoming storm. Ian always knew exactly what to do when I was upset, years of practice giving him a distinct advantage, I supposed.

"I didn't realize how much I still missed them…" I choked as another wave surged up in my throat. My eyes swept over their distantly familiar faces and my fingers itched to reach out through the paper and touch them once more, but I couldn't and that was what hurt most of all.

I could still remember their funeral like it was yesterday. Dozens of faces outlined in varying shades black offering their condolences. Each with a sympathetic sentiment to lie at my feet, but I couldn't hear any of it. My mind hadn't grasped that my parents were actually gone from this earth and from my side forever. It was nothing more than a long nightmare that I would wake from any moment, only I had never woken and they were still gone. After hours of well wishers I managed to slip away from the oppressive mob to sob in peace.

I was barely six or seven at the time but I remember hiding in my mother's closet, surrounded by her scent – a mix of vanilla and lavender - when Ian found me. He didn't say anything; no empty promises that everything would be alright, he simply settled his gangly limbs down beside me, not touching but for where his shoulder brushed mine with each breath. His dark head propped up on his bent knees while I cried in silence. It was such a simple thing for a child to do but he; unlike so many others, knew what I needed.

He was what I needed and still was to this day.

"It's ok to miss them you know. It's ok to talk about them and to love them…and just because you still miss and think about them does not mean that you love the Stryders any less." He whispered into the hollow of my shoulder. Warmth wiggled it's was through my core and goose flesh prickling across my extremities. It was a heady thing to be held in his arms like this, comforting in a way that sent my heart fluttering madly against the cage of my ribs.

Turning in his hold I unleashed a watery smile. "How is it that you always know what I'm thinking?" I asked in wonder.

A gentle smile curved his cheeks sweetly while I watched him raise one of my hands to his lips and place a single kiss on each violet tipped finger tip before he answered. "That's an easy one. I've known you most of your life and spent an inordinate amount of that time watching you…that sounded creepy didn't it?"

I had to laugh at the adorable frown creasing his brow. "Yes, a bit but also really sweet. I guess I can forgive your stalker like tendencies this once." I assured with a wink and giggle when he nipped the tip of my index finger playfully.

Ian shot me a considering look before nodding his agreement and resuming his earlier task. Crazy man… "Good to know. Now where was I…oh, and most importantly…I love you." He concluded with a butterfly kiss to my nose.

"I love you too, with all my soul."

There was no doubt or uncertainty that could be found in my statement. Ian told me weeks ago that I had four years worth of experiences ahead of me and that he would understand if I didn't want to be tied down to him. That was about the time I freaked out, thinking he was trying to let me down easy so he could break up with me. After an entire box of tissues and much groveling on his part I realized that he was being noble and attempting to set me free like an idiot. Needless to say I set him straight and threatened to turn Melanie on him if he ever thought about leaving me for my 'own good' again.

Collage may be an entirely new frontier compared to the vacuum that was high school but I knew what I wanted out of life and Ian was top of the list. That was never going to change and I told him as much. My mother fell in love when she was fourteen years old and married my father six years later, every bit as in love as the day she met him. I may have been young and prone to rash emotional outbursts but I knew that relationships took work and I was willing to do what ever was necessary to keep Ian in my life.

"Wanda, I –" Not waiting to hear his protests, I pulled his mouth down to cover mine. Passion sparked at the contact and we were swept away in a lust induced haze of fire and sensation. An entire summer of stolen kisses and heated make out sessions in the back of Ian's car had made me bolder.

Our tongues met in a slow slide, caressing and coaxing until my head was spinning. Needing more of him, my hands slid down his back, over taught, hard muscles until I found the hem of his shirt and slipped my hands underneath. His skin hot, like touching living flame under my palms. Smooth and flawless but still beautifully solid. I could live a thousand years and I would never get enough of him.

I groaned into his mouth as one of his hot hands mirrored my actions but instead of stopping at the hem of my shirt it wandered down to cup my bottom, the action crushing my pelvis flush with his hips…

"Oh get a room you two! I leave you alone for five minutes and you are all over each other!" Melanie barked from the door effectively dousing our passion in ice water. Moments like those I really wanted to strangle my sister and if the low growl sounding from Ian was any indication; similar thoughts were running though his head.

"Funny…I thought we were in a room, her room to be specific!" The acidic note to his growl complemented his narrowed eyes well but Mel wasn't easily intimidated and stuck her tongue out in retaliation.

I watched the exchange with a shake of my head. Sometimes they were no better than a pair of two-year old's fighting over a new toy.

"Whatever. Don't you have somewhere to be Ian?" Mel called over her shoulder heading back into the living room of our new apartment.

Not wanting Mel and I separated for my first year at ASU, our parents footed the bill for a small two bedroom apartment just off campus. Mel had a part-time job at a local coffee shop for spending money and she offered to put in a good word for me with her boss if I wanted a job. I was excited to start next week after classes started. It would be my first job!

"As much as I hate to admit it, she's right. I'm going to be late for practice if I don't head out…" Ian glanced at his watch, "three minuets ago. Damn! I love you and I'll see you after practice right?" Setting me back on the floor he kisses my lips in a parody of our previous kisses before dashing out the door.

"I'll meet you there. Love you." I called after his retreating back already missing his touch. I really was a love-sick puppy, I thought with a pout.

* * *

"Mel, can I ask you something… personal?" The infernal Arizona sun beat down on our heads from above, the punishing heat provided the perfect camouflage for the flush of crimson mottled across my cheeks.

After another hour of unpacking Melanie and I headed down to the field to watch Ian and his teammates practice. The season was still a few months away, but with the addition of a few new player they would use all the time they could to get everyone on the same page.

My eyes followed Ian's dark head as he moved with his teammates in perfect tandem, his movements lithe, executed with precision and grace. Previously doused hunger roared to life, clawing at my insides and filling my head with thoughts better left for a time when I wasn't in public with my sister waiting expectantly.

"Anything, hon. What's up?" There was a calculating look to Mel's hazel stare that had me wondering if she already knew what I was going to ask. My cheeks burned anew under her scrutiny but I kept my gaze level, meeting her look head on. This was college and it was time I got over my more bashful tendencies.

You can do this, Wanda.

"How did you know you were ready to…well, um…you know…with Jared for the first time?" I trailed off like a stuttering five-year old. Silently I berated my self for choking on the word; it was as simple word. Sex, see not so hard, but no matter how many times I reminded myself of this there was a mental block that prevented my lips from forming it on my tongue.

"Sex? Is that what you are trying to say?" Mel cut in what a badly concealed smirk.

"Yes…" Forget concealing her smirk, she was out right laughing at me then and I was torn between wanting to crawl under the bleachers and clobbering her with my purse. "Do you have to laugh so hard? It really isn't that funny." I mutter petulantly.

Sobering up, she made a valiant attempt to appear composed but the corners of her mouth twitched with suppressed mirth every few seconds. "It is a little bit funny and I'm sorry…but honestly, if you can't say the word, are you sure you're ready to actually have sex?"

"What! I didn't say I wanted to have…you know. I was just asking when you knew you were ready." I sputtered stupidly.

"Yeah right, that's why you're looking at Ian like he's an ice cream sundae and you're starving for desert. But fine, I'll humor you until you are ready to spill you dirty little fantasies." Mel oh so generously offered with a wiggle of her sculpted brows.

Oh lord, help me…

"So generous…" I mumbled, but she paid me no attention, instead her attention wandered down to the side lines where Jared and Kyle were watching the team calling out not so helpful suggestions. Watching Mel's tanned face soften with a dreamy smile lessened my irritation with her slightly. Mel and Jared were truly made for each other and I was happy for them, even more so now that I finally understood what they shared because it was exactly what I felt for Ian.

Four months ago Ian confessed his feelings and every moment since had been nothing short of bliss for me. To some it may have seemed like a short amount of time, but we had known one another for so long that the transition from friends to more was natural for us. Like coming home after a long, drawn out absence.

I knew from the moment he first dragged me against his body and claimed my lips, branding me with his passion that I wanted him in a way that I had never wanted anyone else. Sure, I had crushed over Jared for years, imagined what it would be like to be held by him, to feel his lips brush mine but those thoughts where innocent compared to the erotic fantasies Ian brought out in me. Such thoughts were embarrassing and wanton but I couldn't help them, he was addictive in all the best ways.

Ian never made any secret of his enthusiasm for me but no matter how heated our make out sessions became he was always quick to pull away when we crossed his imaginary line. Truthfully, I loved Ian all the more for respecting and wanting to protect me as he did, but I was getting down right frustrated!

"I don't know when I knew exactly. It's not like I woke up one day and said 'this is the day I am going to have sex for the first time'. It was our 8 months anniversary and he took me out to dinner and we ended up back at his pace…one thing led to another and…we had sex." She finished with a far off look in her eyes a tilt to her lips.

I didn't know what I had expected but I really hadn't thought it would be so…mundane I guess. Mel must have sensed my thoughts because her tanned cheeks darkened with a flush of blood that surprised me.

"Don't look at me like that!" She chided, glancing away from me to watch the field again. "It wasn't candles and roses and all that mess, but it was still special. He was good to me and I know that when the time is right, and I am not saying that is now, but I know that Ian will be good to you too."

That time I did duck my head under the veil of my hair to hide my burning cheeks.

"But I am not going to lie to you sis." She continued after a moment drawing my attention back to the conversation at hand. "It's not like it is in books or movies. It's painful the first time and sometimes even the second time too, but it does get better. I just wanted you to know that."

Painful? I knew it was uncomfortable for a woman her first time but I had never really given that part of it much thought. It was hard to imagine anything about Ian's touch could ever be anything less than amazing.

"Thanks. I'm not saying I'm ready to have…sex, but when I'm with him it's hard not to think about it…to want him. I just can't help wondering if I'll be good enough for him."

And there it was…my biggest fear laid bare before me. I knew Ian loved me and was physically attracted to me but what if that wasn't enough? I had no experience with men and Ian had admitted to having been with two other girls before me. There was a nagging doubt in my head that wondered…what if I he was disappointed him?

Tears fought their way to the surface and I pushed them back but not before Mel saw. Her arms circled my shoulders in a comforting embrace and I accepted the support willingly; grateful to sink into her unassuming stability. It was easy to forget sometimes, but I needed Mel, needed her love and support to keep my head on straight when insecurities threatened to run away with it.

"I know it's hard but don't think like that honey. You are that most amazing woman in the world and he loves you…has loved you for as long as I can remember; anything you two share will be perfect. I promise you that." She whispered against my head. "Besides, all you have to do is look at that boy and he melts. Putty in your hands baby sister."

We both laughed at the mental image and I knew she was right. With one more squeeze we separated as Jared came bounding up the bleachers like an over eager puppy, but one look at me and his smile flipped into a frown of concern.

"What's going on?" He asked with some trepidation. Mel ignored him and kissed his cheek sweetly grabbing her bag.

"Nothing you need to worry about, hon." He didn't look convinced, not that I blamed him but some things where best left alone. A truth that Jared knew well.

Looking somewhat appeased, Jared returned her kiss then reached out to tug on a lock of my honey colored hair teasingly. "We're going to go get some dinner at the pub, do you want to join us or are you going to wait for O'Shea?"

Glancing at the field I noticed the mass exudes for the locker rooms signaling that practice was over. "He should be out soon. I think I'll just wait for him but we'll meet you guys there."

Jared looked unsure for a moment, glancing around the near deserted field with apprehension; ever my protector. "I'll be fine Jared, really." I put on my best mega watt smile and with Mel's back up he relented.

Mel rolled her eyes on my behalf which had me giggling as I watched them join Kyle and his latest fling, Sunny on the side lines. I had only met the dark-haired cheerleader once or twice but I liked her immediately. She was sweet and bubbly, but not a complete ditz like Kyle normally favored. Kyle played it cool but the casual way he tucked her lean body against his side, and the softening of his dark eyes as they drifted down to her smiling face every few minuets gave him away. Kyle O'Shea was falling in love and It was about time, I thought happily.

"Hey! Your Wanda right?" A deep rumble sounded to my left, the gravelly voice abrading my concentration and pulling my attention away from my thoughts. I glanced up, only the setting sun blacked out the face but for a halo of flaming curls surrounding a distinctly male face. Raising my hand to shield the glare I caught a glimpse of pale skin, deep set eyes and a dusting of freckles dusting a hawk like nose that made for a vaguely familiar face.

"Yes, and you're…" I searched for a name but came up empty. Noticing my discomfort he ducked to the left and out of the setting sun.

"Sorry for blinding you. I'm Burns, we met a few months ago." He offered me warm smile, holding out a large mitt of a hand for me to shake. It was almost comical to watch my bird thin fingers disappear in his wide paw like grip.

The combination of his disarming smile and gravely voice put me at ease and I found myself returning his smile with one of my own. I had a distant memory of meting Burn when Ian brought me down to meet his teammates on my campus tour last month. At the time I had been too overwhelmed with all there was to see to really notice anyone in particular. Not to mention Ian had been rubbing tantalizing circles across my knuckles during the introduction which made it almost impossible to concentrate on anything but his skin on mine.

Another blush reached from the tips of my ears down to the exposed v of my camisole as I remembered the rush of Ian claiming my lips the moment we were out of site of his friends that afternoon. The way the cold concrete scrapped against my shoulders as he pressed me against the side of the building that housed the gym and locker rooms. The very thought had a torrent of shivers raking my body as if it were winter and not the dead of summer.

Burns looked confused by my sudden shift in demeanor, asking if I was alright. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a chill from the breeze." I explained rubbing my arms for effect.

He looked down at his bag for a moment as if looking for something, "Sorry I don't have my jacket with me." He apologized with a frown.

Thank goodness he didn't have anything to offer me, I was anything but cold, I was practically melting with the sun and my thoughts heating my skin to boiling point, but I appreciated the thought non the less.

In an effort to stave off any further embarrassment I banished my lusty thoughts and focused on Burns. We talked for no more than ten minuets and I found Burns to be an entertaining companion. Full of good humor and interesting stories that reminded me of Kyle without all the hard edges that made you want to hit Kyle more often than not.

Burns and I were laughing at some joke he had told when I caught sight of Ian making his way toward us from the locker rooms, a dark look clouding his normally open face.

"Ian!" I called in half excitement and half questioning but the steel-blue of his gaze wasn't focused on me but on Burns, effectively pinning his teammate to his spot like a bolt to the shoulder.

"Hey man, I was just keeping Wanda here company while she was waiting." Burns threw up his hands in a show of surrender that had me glancing between the two of them rapid fire. Ian didn't look impressed; when he reached up he pulled me a little roughly from my perch and secured me to his side with one iron-hard arms draped from my shoulder to waste.

I didn't appreciate his harsh treatment and had the urge to pry myself out of his hold but I could feel the granite tension in his muscles; it would be useless to resist him now.

"Thanks, but I'm here now so you can go."

I had never heard Ian be so clipped with another person and it didn't sit well in my stomach. Burns looked between the two of use for a second longer before he nodded at Ian and offered me a, "I'll see you around Wanda," and a half-smile before leaving us alone.

Once Burns was out of sight and I felt some of the tension bleed from Ian's muscles and I wrenched myself away from him. Unfortunately, the momentum tipped me off-balance and I crashed painfully into the bleachers, catching my hip hard on the metal step. I cried out before I could swallow the exclamation.

Ian reached for me in concern but I warded him off with an out stretched hand and a glare worthy of Melanie. "What was that about?" I demanded pulling my self into a sitting position so that I could continue to glare at him comfortably.

"Nothing. Are you alright sweetheart?" He reaching for me again but stopped when I swatted his hand away. Hurt pinched his features but I was too angry to censor myself just then.

"Don't give me that! Where do you get off chasing him off like that? This is not high school anymore," he flinched at the reminder of his time spent warning guys away from me. "and we were just talking."

Through the haze of red clouding my vision I saw him take a stuttered step back at my accusations before he lips thinned in indignation and he launched forward in his own verbal assault.

"Just talking? He was practically drooling on your lap!" He fired back. "I know you don't see it but you have no idea how these guys look at you, baby." There was a note of pleading in his voice now that pulled at me but I resisted. He was wrong about Burns. We had only been talking; he hadn't tried to put a move on me…or had he?

I thought back to our talk only a few minuets ago and how Burns had asked me how long Ian and I had been together. He had joked that we were still new and anything was possible which I laughed off at the time, but now I was starting to wonder if Ian was right. Shaking my head to clear away the doubts starting to take shape in my head, I focused on my anger once more.

"It doesn't matter if he was hitting on me or not. You acted like a cave man about to throw me over his shoulder and bang your chest in a show of dominance. You are being ridiculous and for the record, you don't own me Ian!" I was shaking with unexpected anger as I continued to yell at him, my voice growing higher with each word.

Ian and I had never fought before, we had misunderstandings but this was different. All of my frustration and doubts were rising to the surface, fueling the fire burning in my veins. I wanted him to admit something but I didn't know what I was hoping for and it gnawed at me uncomfortably.

"Maybe not, but I will be damned if I'm going to sit back and watch some guy pawing at you like you are a piece of meat!" He exploded. We were inches apart suddenly, both breathing heavily, with hearts pounding and blood rushing through out ears in a maddening roar. The rush of blood brought with it the urge to allow my body to sway toward him, bridging the space between us was almost palpable but my anger was still too strong to give into the pull.

Blinking back the sudden blur of tears misting my sight I grabbed my bag and ran down the steps, ignoring the lingering pain in my hip that dogged my steps.

I felt a cold chill settle in my gut leaving me feeling empty, the feeling magnified by Ian's cobalt stare blazing up my spine. I was tempted to keep going but I stopped and waited. "Are you coming?" My voice was brittle with unshed tears as I looked over my shoulder briefly to catch a glimpse of him. My heart plummeted at the stricken look tightening Ian's devastatingly handsome face.

With a nod he vaulted down the bleachers after me.

* * *

Dinner was a tense affair, filled with questioning looks and whispered concerns but we both held our peace while we pushed our food around our plates. Both in no mood to eat and be sociable.

Mel finally cornered me in the lady's room and demanded to know what was going on. I held out for a second longer considering Sunny had joined us but there were too many emotions turning in my stomach to contain a moment longer.

My voice shook embarrassingly as I recounted out fight but with each word I began to suspect I may have over reacted...

"Don't get me wrong, I think he's an idiot but Ian does have a possessive streak a mile wide when it comes to you. I'm not surprised he flipped his lid." Mel offered gently as not to set off anymore water works from me and no doubt worried I would jump on her for defending Ian.

"And Burns has asked about you a lot lately, Wanda. He's got a reputation and I know Kyle told him to leave you alone." Sunny added over my shoulder, handing me a damp paper towel to clean away my running mascara.

A reputation? What did that mean, I wondered but didn't ask. Burns may have been testing the waters but it didn't matter now any more than it did before. I wasn't interested in Burns or anyone else, I loved Ian and nothing was going to change that. Even Ian being an overprotective ass. But why than did I over react so much? Truthful this wasn't the first time Ian had been over protective, he had been the same way toward Was at Prom and I had found it endearing then. So what was the difference now?

I was afraid. The thought struck me hard and fast. I was afraid of being left behind and that fear was breading anger. Why couldn't he see that I'm wasn't going to leave, that he's was the one pushing me away. I was tiered a frustrated and when he showed up like some snarling beast I snapped. My realization brought be some measure of comfort, cooled my anger and gave the the resolve to return to Ian.

Mel and Sunny gave me a minuet to clean myself up before I rejoined the table. Ian looked miserable, his strong shoulders hunched over the table while he stared at his near full plate dejectedly. Drawing a deep breath I took my seat, reaching out I caught his fingers under the table, giving the cool skin a reassuring squeeze. Sapphire eyes flashed up to mine hopefully. My smile was a little forced but it was enough to ease some of the tension in his posture.

All wasn't forgiven he knew but it was a place to start.

* * *

The walk to mine and Mel's apartment was spent in a pregnant silence. Melanie and Jared agreed to check out a local club with Kyle and Sunny but I couldn't stand the idea of letting this sit for a few more hours unchecked. So we both declined and Ian walked me home alternating between brooding and throwing side long glances at me every few steps.

Once inside I tossing my bag on the couch and opened the refrigerator with the intent of grabbing a bottle of water but Ian's strong arms snaked around my middle. One heavily muscled arm crossed over my waist to rest on the opposite hip, while the other brushed my breasts and cupped my shoulder in a heady embrace. My resolve to stay strong evaporated in a cloud of hormones and I allowed myself to sink back into his body, my arms mirroring his hug perfectly.

"I'm sorry I was a jerk." He soothed in a low voice nuzzling my ear through the thick curtain of my hair, the hand on my bruised hip rubbed slow circles by way of an apology for my fall. "The two of you were laughing and I could see the way he was looking at you. Like he wanted you…and it was all I could do not to beat his face in."

I shivered at the threat. He was practically vibrating at the memory and I hugged him closer in silent comfort; in spite of my aversion to violence a thread of desire curled in my belly at the possessive nature of his statement.

"You can't have it both ways…" I sighed, getting down to the root of my frustration. It had taken the better part of dinner for me to understand why his actions upset me so much and it was time to confront him. "You can't offer me freedom every time we get close only to yank me back when someone shows interest in me. It doesn't work that way. You either want me or you don't…"

Please want me, I silently prayed.

In a move reminiscing of a dancer spinning his partner out and then back to him, Ian spun me in his hold until our bodies aligned from root to tip. Gasping at the sudden change in position I looked up at him only to be caught by his intensity. Love, passion, and a tinge of fear lurked in the crystalline blue of his eyes.

"Do you want to be free…" Fear thickened his voice into a hoarse whisper. This was the first time Ian had ever shown me this side of him. Glimpses had peaked through occasionally but he had always been the strong one in our relationship; pursuing me emotionally and physically. It had never occurred to me that Ian was truly afraid that I didn't want _him_. The very idea seemed insane to me, completely, hilariously, ridiculous.

"No! I want you, and only you. I don't care about Burns or anyone else who may come sniffing around. As long as you want me I'm yours. Please stop pushing me away Ian. Please…"

"I don't want you to regret this…us. I love you so much but I don't want you to look back in a year or twenty years and wonder what you missed out on because of me."

Reaching out on my tip toes I smacked him on the back of his head as hard as I could. Which was not very hard at all, but it had the desired effect when he looked at me blinking in surprise. "You're a fool and an asshole!"

"How many times do I have to tell you; to show you how much I want you! Your not that much older than me and you may have had sex with other girls but that doesn't mean you know what's best for me. Do you want me to go out and sleep with someone else? Is that what you want? I'm sure Burn's will be more than happy to oblige me if what you're saying is true." I spat at him, beating my hands against the solid wall of his chest to get him to understand.

"I love you…but if you can't see that than…" swallowing back a sob I pushed forward. "than maybe we shouldn't be together."

"Screw that!" In a whirlwind of motion he hoisted off my feet and pressed my back against the refrigerator door in the heart beat between my statement and his. "I am the world's biggest asshole and I probably should let you go but I'm not going to. You're mine, little Wanderer and I'm not giving you up!"

There was no time to reply, there was only mind numbing pleasure. Ian feasted on first my lip than the sensitive skin behind my ear before trailing a long line oh hungry kisses down my throat. Each sweep of his tongue and scrape of his teeth dragging strangled sounds of pleasure from my body like a wild animal gasping for breath. His hands felt like they were everywhere at once, stroking and caressing my flesh until I couldn't tell what was residual heat and what was his actual touch until one hand grasped my thigh and hocked the limb around his grating hips.

"Ian!" I gasped his name as exquisite sparks of arousal rippled out from my center as his hips pumped into my softness in a slow agonizing rhythm.

"Mine…" He bit against my throat then suckled the spot until the sting melted away in a wash of primal need. Emboldened, I wrapped my other leg around him aiding in my need to bring him closer, to relieve the ache throbbing in my belly.

It was Ian's turn to groan a strangled cry of pleasure.

"Please…Ian. Please make love to me." I all but begged when the coiled spring tightened to an unbearable point. I needed release and soon.

Something in my voice must have penetrated his lust and with a growl he pulled away from me, leaving me bereft of his touch. Unable to support myself I slipped bonelessly to the cold hardwood floors with acidic tears burning a river down my face.

"What…" I couldn't push the words out of my swollen throat but he heard me and understood my fears. I was scooped up and carried to the couch as I clung to him for dear life.

"I'm so sorry Wanda. Please forgive me. I didn't mean to leave you like that but you drive me insane." Over and over he whispered how sorry he was, and how much he loved and wanted me until my tears dried and I was left sniffing pathetically in his lap.

"I thought for a second that I had done something wrong…"

He laughed a self-deprecating laugh at my lament. "Hardly...You did everything right, too right in fact. I was seconds away from taking you against the frig and damn the consequences."

Oh…wiggling in his lap experimentally I felt him stiffen under me when my curves made contact with the proof of his need. Giggling with my new discovery I went to work on his neck, feasting soft needy kisses along his pulsing jugular vein only to be thwarted as his hands clapped around my hips and thighs to still my movements a second later.

"Not tonight, love. Our first time is not going to be make-up sex." He chuckled when I pouted up at him in frustration.

"But I heard make-up sex is the best kind." I purred boldly, nipping at his jaw eliciting a growl of approval from my pray.

"Minx." He accused, capturing my lips in a dominating clash of tongue and teeth. Just when I started to think I had him beat he pulled away again leaving me mewing like an unhappy kitten. This was not fair at all!

"The first time I make love to you will be more than a quickie against an appliance or in your room hoping Mel and Jared don't come home early." Each word punctuated with a hot open-mouthed kiss down my neck before he reversed back to my lips. "I want to take my time with you, baby."

My insides quivered at the thought of what Ian could do with unlimited time, so lost in the idea I didn't notice him pulling away until I was back on the couch and he was kneeling a safe distance away at my feet with a pleading look leveled at me. 'Please don't push me…' his eyes begged and with a sigh of defeat I collapsed against the cushions with a huff.

"Fine!"

I was still decompressing when Ian unceremoniously scooped me up, marched us into my bedroom, and kicked the door shut before dropped me on my bed without a word. "Ian! What are you doing? I thought you said…" He cut me off with a searing kiss and smirk that had my toes curling.

"I said we weren't going to have sex tonight. That doesn't mean I cant give you a preview…"

I barely had time to consider his meaning before he set to work on driving me out of my mind with ecstasy…multiple times over the next hour.

Needless to say two weeks later I lost my virginity to the love of my life and although it wasn't candles and roses – both Ian and I agreed that wasn't what we wanted – it was absolutely perfect.

* * *

Four Years later…

"I would like to propose a toast to my friends and family!" I raised my glass calling the table to attention. I glanced around the circle with some apprehension but Ian grinned at me encouragingly and squeezed my hand, lending me the strength to continue.

"Thank you all for being here tonight to celebrate my graduation. I couldn't have done it with out all of your love and support though the endless tests and term papers but each and every one of you urged me on." Laughter rose at the comment about the tests and term papers as most of them remembered what it was like to be in my shoes. Turning to my right I fixed Melanie with an adoring smile.

"Melanie…my sister and my rock. Without you I would have gone insane under all the pressure of getting my teaching degree. You kept me together when I thought I couldn't make it through one more day with your humor and unfailing support." She mouthed a 'your welcome' before I moved on to the handsome man beside her.

"Jared, my protector and midnight doughnut runner. I have you to thank for these few extra pounds but I wouldn't trade it for the world." Another round of laughs followed except for Ian who choked on his own breath beside me. Kyle slapped him on his back making some comment or another which eared him a glare from his long time girlfriend Sunny.

One by one I went around the table thanking my friends and family, growing more nerves with each passing face until I was left with the moment I had dreaded for the past two weeks. Ian stood, folding my slighter frame into his side protectively; we were in this together his touch reminded me.

"I am so happy you could all be here tonight because Ian and I have an announcement to make…" My mother clapped merrily, anticipating our wedding announcement no doubt.

"Wanda is pregnant. We are going to have a baby!" Ian announced with a gleeful, if not nervous grin and I was grateful that it wasn't me that had to speak the words. A hush descended over the table as our news sank in; reaching out I crushed Ian's hand in a death grip as my parents looked at us with blank stares of shock.

Just as I was about to bury my self in Ian's arms and insist that we run away to lord knows where, Kyle's booming voice filled the silence. "Congratulations bro! You knocked her up before the proposal! Nice, man. Not even I managed that one. Very impressive baby brother!"

And just like that the tension broke and smile of joy and congratulations surrounded us.

Ian was pulled from my grasp as Kyle enveloped him in a back thumping man hug that had me giggling in spite of my frayed nerves. The two brothers laughed loudly and then it was my turn to be mulled by Kyle. I closed my eyes and enjoyed being swung around like a rag doll until my stomach gave a rumble of protest and he put me down with a fast apology.

"It's OK Kyle." I assured him and then I was turned in every direction for more hugs.

Melanie practically tackled me wanting to know why I hadn't told her the second I found out but thankfully she accepted that Ian and I had wanted the news to be a surprise for everyone. After all it was only right that everyone else shared in our unexpected shock.

Jamie hugged me tenderly as if he was afraid I would break or that he would hurt the baby if he squeezed too hard. Jamie was excited that he would be an uncle, talking animatedly about all the things he could teach and share with his little niece or nephew. Happy tears swelled in the corner of my eyes and it was Jared who whipped the offending moisture away before it could ruin my makeup. A sweet smile turned up his lips and I was reminded why I had thought myself in love with him once upon a time.

"You are going to be an amazing mother, Wanda. I am so happy for you." He breathed tenderly against my temple before kissing my crown in a way that could only be described as reverent. I was still slightly off-balance when he stepped away to fix Ian with a stern look. I didn't have a chance to hear what was said because my mother and father took their turns next.

Mom promised to take me out shopping soon, while dad grilled Ian on our living arrangements and plans for the future after the gushing leveled off.

"Wanda and I just bought a house about thirty minuets away from you guys a few days ago. It's not very big but we love it and it will be perfect for us to start out in." Ian told my parents with a note of pride in his voice and stance.

The pregnancy was unexpected; we had always been careful but as we learned nothing is full proof and surprisingly, when the shock wore off we both found that we were excited at the prospect of becoming parents. It was my love for children and teaching that prompted me to go for my degree in teaching and with Ian's degree in Agricultural Science he could teach if he wanted to as well. It was not what we planned but it was exactly what we wanted in the end.

With the love and support of our family everything was finally falling into place.

"Wanderer…" I head Ian's silken voice call my given name behind me and I turned to find him kneeling at my feet with a bashful grin drawing his face toward mine.

Oh my goodness.

One quick look around confirmed my suspicions, they were all in on this. "My sweet Wanderer. I know that our relationship has been unconventional at times but I have loved you from the first moment I saw your shinning head peak around the rose bushes in my mother's garden after Kyle chased you away from our tree fort. You are my everything, my love, my life, and my soul mate. I wanted to do this before we found out about the baby but our little one beat me to the punch." He chided leaning forward to press a kiss to my still flat stomach eliciting a laugh from our family and a happy giggle from me.

"He had the ring a month ago!" Mel chirped up behind us, silencing Kyle's insinuation that he was only proposing out of a sense of responsibility.

Ian flashed Mel an appreciative glance before pulling out a velvet ring box. "Please do me the honor and allowing me to becoming your husband?"

Nestled in the satin folds was a beautiful antique white gold ring carved with intricate scroll work resembling leaves twining around a halo of diamonds set in a flower design that took my breath away. The ring was beautiful but it was nothing compared to the rare sapphire blue jewels sparkling up at me with such pure love reflected in their depths.

"Yes!" I cried, not waiting for him to slip the ring on my finger, I threw my arms around his neck and sealed our love with a kiss.

This was my happily ever after, only it was just the beginning...

**The End! (For real this time)**

**And there you have it. I truly hope this lived up to every ones hopes and expectations. For all of you out there that were hoping for a love scene I didn't want to up the rating so I scrapped it and kept the content as T as I could for these two. Which is harder than it looks as I just can't help writing these two hot and heavy. It's all that amazing chemistry SM wrote into them I guess. But maybe if a few people ask nicely I could be persuaded to finish it and post a separate PWP for this fic...What do you all think?  
**

**Please review! I know it's the end and it's easy to skip on by without a word but I really want to know what everyone think about the ending…Please! ;)**


End file.
